Loot

An epic historical novel of plundered treasure and lasting love

Tania James

$22.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Harvill
06 May 2025

Fiction & Literature; Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945); Historical fiction; Material culture

An epic historical heist novel of plundered treasure, savage empire, lasting love and a young man's dream to make his mark on the world. From an Indian American writer at the height of her powers.

'Loot held me spellbound from the first page...an expertly-plotted, deeply affecting novel ' Maggie O'Farrell

Young toy maker and dreamer Abbas is whisked away to Tipu Sultan's glorious palace in Mysore and ordered to create a musical tiger to delight Tipu's sons.

When he is apprenticed to eccentric clockmaker Monsieur Du Leze, Abbas finds an unexpected friend who encourages his skill and hunger for learning. Through Du Leze, he also meets the unforgettable Jehanne, who has questions and ambitions of her own.

But when British soldiers attack and loot Mysore, Abbas's world is turned upside down and his prized tiger is shipped off to a country estate in England. In order to carve out his place in the world, he must follow.

A hero's quest, a love story, an exuberant heist novel that traces the bloody legacy of colonialism across the world, Loot is a dazzling, wildly inventive and irresistible feat of storytelling.

'A thrilling, absorbing and immersive tale of artistry, adventure and romance' Claire Fuller

'A cinematic novel of empire, colonialism and romance...

Loot asks who gets written out of history and why' Guardian

'Immersive and beautifully written...a clever and absorbing novel about empire and belonging' Sunday Times

By: Tania James
Imprint: Harvill
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 197mm, Width: 130mm, Spine: 20mm
Weight: 213g
ISBN: 9781529931761
ISBN 10: 1529931762
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 06 May 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Tania James's debut novel Atlas of Unknowns was a New York Times Editor's Choice and was shortlisted for the DSC Prize for South Asian literature. She has also written the short story collection Aerogrammes, and her stories have appeared in the New Yorker, Granta, Freeman's- The Future of New Writing, One Story and A Public Space. The Tusk That Did the Damage was shortlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize. From 2011 to 2012, Tania James was a Fulbright fellow to India living in New Delhi. She now lives in Washington DC.

Reviews for Loot: An epic historical novel of plundered treasure and lasting love

[An] epic sweep of a novel, which travels from India to Europe in the company of a fascinating range of characters...Niftily constructed, the novel packs in doomed romance, the horrors of colonialism and palace plots * Daily Mail * Strongly recommending this exquisitely crafted and rich historical story to everyone I know . . . Tania James has created such a visceral, powerful story that it felt like I was in a time travelling machine -- Nikita Gill Addictively absorbing * New York Times Book Review * A real-life object of fascination — an 18th-century automaton depicting a tiger biting into an Englishman’s neck — is the basis for this novel...lush with the sights, sounds and smells of India, France and England, and always laced with Dickensian wit * Washington Post, *Ten Best Books of the Year* * Loot held me spellbound from the first page. This is an expertly-plotted, deeply affecting novel about war, displacement, emigration, and an elusive mechanical tiger. -- Maggie O’Farrell